Ralph Frederick Kaehler

Kaehler, Ralph - Died peacefully in Woodstock Hospital on 16 March 2012 at the age of 87 with all his family and his closest friend present. Survived by his wife Sonja, his sons and daughter-in-laws Michael and Valerie, Roland and Sarka and Christian and Sharon and his 5 grandchildren; Kristofer, Mitchell, Dakota, Montanna and Marco. Predeceased by his mother Marie Pahlke in 1947, his father Gustav Ké¤hler in 1972 and his younger brother Konrad Ké¤hler in 1999. Ralph Kaehler was born 15 Oct 1924 in Bartenstein, Germany but was raised in Ké¶nigsberg, Germany. In 1942 he finished High School enrolling in the Albertus University in Ké¶nigsberg to study law but on his 18th birthday he was drafted into the German Army and did not get to go to Albertus University. After military training he was posted to Peenemé¼nde, Germany. At the end of the war he worked for American Intelligence in the G2 section where he became the administrator of the Landshut Housing Project, a staging area for scientists contracted by the Americans to move to the USA. While working in Landshut he met his future wife, Sonja Pauly, at the Post Office of the housing area they both lived in. There he also met Tim Rinne, who would become a lifelong friend. In 1953 he immigrated to Canada and worked at the Standard Tube Ltd. as a clerk in the accounting department and then as the paymaster. In 1958 he moved to Bancroft, Ont to teach history and German at North Hastings High School. His future wife Sonja Pauly arrived in Canada 2 Aug 1959 and they were married 21 Aug 1959 in the Bethany Lutheran church in Woodstock, Ont. They lived for the next 42 years in Bancroft where they raised their three boys. In 1986 he retired after 28 years of teaching and in 2001 they sold the house and moved into an apartment in Woodstock, Ont. For many years his hobbies have been stamp collecting, reading economic and political news periodicals, playing skat with his friends and travelling all over Europe and North America. A funeral service will be held at Brock and Visser Funeral Home, 845 Devonshire Ave, Woodstock, 519-539-0004 on Thursday 22 March 2012 at 2:00 PM in the chapel. A time of visitation with the family will take place one hour prior to the service. Cremation will follow. If desired, memorial contributions to the Woodstock Hospital would be appreciated. Online condolences at www.brockandvisser.com

Visitation Details

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 1:00pm - 2:00pm, Brock and Visser Funeral Home

Service Details

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 2:00pm, Brock and Visser Funeral Home